All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

When the bedroom light spilled into the wardrobe, Kotomi Izumi realized what she had been covering herself with… Those weren’t clothes at all! Other than a skirt, everything else was Mrs. Yuigahama’s underwear, socks—and stockings!

If it were under normal circumstances, Kotomi might have gotten carried away, like someone surfacing after holding their breath underwater, opening her mouth wide and greedily inhaling.

But now, with Yui Yuigahama standing right in front of her, she didn’t even dare to move, let alone breathe heavily. Her back was pressed firmly against the wardrobe wall, and she had already squeezed herself into the very back.

The moment she heard Yui Yuigahama say that the hair accessory would look best paired with suitable clothes, Kotomi had a bad premonition. And sure enough, in the very next second, the nimble-fingered but thoughtless dango girl had pulled the wardrobe doors wide open without hesitation.

Hiss—

Kotomi silently drew in a shallow breath, trying to calm herself down. Thankfully, the ”clothes” covering her… well, at least they served their purpose. Even though she was sitting in the wardrobe face-to-face with Yui, the girl still hadn’t noticed her. That alone allowed Kotomi to relax a little.

But she soon realized the gap in front of her was too wide. Just earlier, she had even made eye contact with Tomoka Yuigahama. Judging from Tomoka’s expression now… it seemed like she had really seen her.

Feeling embarrassed, Kotomi still cautiously tugged the black stockings draped on top of her further down, just in case she ended up face-to-face with Yui as well. That really would have been fatal.

Though hiding in the wardrobe was risky, Kotomi figured this was still the best hiding spot. After all, there was no way she could hide under the bed!

Tomoka Yuigahama’s double bed didn’t leave much clearance underneath. At best, a very slender girl might barely squeeze in.

Kotomi glanced down at the size of her own chest… Too big! There was no way she could crawl under the bed!

Running back to the little workspace was impossible, so the wardrobe was her only option.

”Mom, can’t you keep your underwear and stockings properly organized? And this skirt should be hung up,” Yui Yuigahama said seriously.

I did organize them properly! But Kotomi messed everything up when she squeezed in just now, piling them all on top of herself! That white skirt is folded down there only because I ran out of hanger space! Tomoka Yuigahama thought, nearly in tears.

”I’ll help you find some clothes that match the gardenia hair accessory.”

As she spoke, Yui began rifling through the wardrobe, one piece after another. To Kotomi, who was hiding under that pile of ”underwear” and stockings, her feelings now were no different than when she first played Dying Light, during a night mission when the Volatiles began chasing her.

Back then she didn’t even have a grappling hook. Facing the terrifying Volatiles, the rookie Kotomi completely panicked, lost all sense of direction, and jumped into a river—instantly respawning at a nearby checkpoint.

”Huh? Is there more clothing in here? Why does it feel so soft?”

Yui’s fingertips brushed against something, and her pretty brows furrowed in suspicion. This softness… it felt strangely familiar. She reached out to lift the clothes on the hanger, about to peer inside.

”There’s nothing in there! Maybe the clothes just got piled up, so they feel soft,” Tomoka Yuigahama quickly interrupted, hastily grabbing Yui’s small hand.

With Yui’s personality, Tomoka really didn’t know what to say. More often than not, her hands acted before her brain caught up. In other words—nimble hands, slow thinking.

”But… I’m sure I felt my fingertips touch something soft. The texture even felt familiar.” Yui tilted her head, curiously peeking deeper into the wardrobe. Curiosity pushed her to want to uncover the pile and see what was inside.

But in the end, she didn’t. Right now, the most important thing was to pick out an outfit that would match the gardenia hair accessory. Refocusing her attention, Yui went back to choosing clothes.

After searching for a while, she finally stopped, puffing out her cheeks in slight dissatisfaction:

-”Mom, how did you even choose the colors and styles of these clothes? Not a single one matches the gardenia hair accessory,” Yui Yuigahama said.

Though she said that aloud, deep down she knew very well—the last time her mother bought herself new clothes was two years ago. Meanwhile, for her and Yuka, their mom still bought them new outfits every few months. Even though the family’s financial situation wasn’t easy, her mother always tried to give the best to them.

Yui immediately decided: ”Mom, let’s go shopping this Saturday, okay? I’ll buy you a new outfit to go with this gardenia hair accessory. I’ve been saving up my allowance for a long time, and I think I’ve got enough for one piece of clothing.”

”Ah, going shopping on Saturday for new clothes? There’s no need, my clothes are still enough. Besides, aren’t you going to karaoke with Kotomi this weekend?”

”Kotomi and I agreed to go on Sunday.”

”But…”

Tomoka Yuigahama didn’t want to go shopping. Not because she disliked it, but because hearing her daughter say she had saved up part of her allowance instead of spending it on herself, just so she could buy her mother a new dress, filled her heart with both warmth and guilt.

It was precisely because of that deep emotion that Tomoka didn’t want to use up the allowance Yui had worked so hard to save.

When she was first married, Tomoka had enjoyed shopping. But after her husband passed away, she rarely went anymore. Even when she did, it was only to buy clothes or birthday presents for Yui and Yuka. As for department stores, she often visited them—but only to head straight for the supermarket on the first floor, buy food and daily necessities, and then head home.

”Mom~ I’ve grown this big, and I’ve never once bought you clothes. Just let me buy you one outfit, please?” Yui clasped her mother’s hands gently, swaying them back and forth, her sweet voice filled with playful pleading.

Sensible as she was, Yui rarely acted spoiled toward her mother. This rare instance of her pouting was just so she could get her mother’s permission to spend her saved-up allowance on her.

Hearing this, Tomoka’s heart ached. She felt she had failed her daughters too much, that she wasn’t a qualified mother. With a small nod, she finally agreed—she would go shopping with Yui tomorrow, and allow her daughter to buy her a new outfit.

”Great!” Yui cheered. ”Mom, keep this gardenia hair accessory safe. I’ll go bring you your dinner.”

The moment she heard Yui finally leaving the bedroom, Kotomi—who had been hiding in the wardrobe all this time, too terrified to even wipe her sweat—trembled slightly. Her small hands shook as she carefully pulled the black stockings over her eyes, then tightly shut them, just to avoid accidentally making eye contact with Yui if she looked inside.

Yui’s footsteps made Kotomi relax a little. She was about to crawl out of the wardrobe and slip back into the little workspace when Tomoka pressed her back inside with a firm hand.

Kotomi looked at Tomoka in confusion, only to see her give a sharp look, signaling her to stay hidden a while longer!

Kotomi didn’t understand why, but she obediently stayed put. Sure enough, after taking only a few steps out of the bedroom, Yui suddenly circled back. If Kotomi had stepped out just then, she would have bumped straight into her.

It wasn’t that Yui came back on purpose—she had no idea Kotomi was not only in her house, but hiding in her mother’s wardrobe. She had simply remembered she forgot to ask something: whether her mother wanted seaweed flakes sprinkled on her rice.

”Mom, do you want me to add seaweed flakes on your rice?”

”No need.” Tomoka covered Kotomi’s face with one hand to keep her hidden, while smiling calmly as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

”Alright~” Yui replied, then finally left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen to bring Tomoka her dinner.

”Has Yui left?”

”She has. Quick, go back to the little workspace.”

Only after hearing Tomoka Yuigahama say this did Kotomi finally breathe a sigh of relief. She cautiously poked her head out of the wardrobe, glanced around, and darted back into the little workspace. The moment the door opened, she quickly shut it tight again.

Watching Kotomi, who usually acted like such a little adult, now panic like this, Tomoka couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, even though she herself had been just as nervous moments ago. But when she looked back at the wardrobe, now left in a complete mess by Kotomi, she felt helpless. Her mature yet cute face blushed faintly with embarrassment.

With flushed cheeks, Tomoka carefully tidied up the pile of underwear and stockings Kotomi had just used to cover herself.

Yui Yuigahama was quick. Only moments after leaving the bedroom for the kitchen, she returned carrying a tray.

”Mom, after you finish eating, just leave it outside the door. I’ll come back to collect it.”

”This mapo tofu smells so good, Yui. Your cooking really is getting better and better. It makes me feel a little ashamed as your mother. With skills like this, you’ll have no trouble finding a husband in the future.”

Hearing her mother’s praise, Yui’s cheeks turned slightly red. She brushed back a strand of her light peach-colored hair and smiled shyly.

”As long as Kotomi likes it, that’s good enough.”

Yui probably didn’t realize the implication behind what she had just said, but Tomoka understood very clearly. Her heart grew complicated as she looked at her daughter.

As a mother, Tomoka was open-minded. She didn’t object to Yui liking Kotomi. After all, was love between two people of the same gender not still love?

Whether it was love between different genders or the same, it was equal. There was no difference, no hierarchy—love was simply one person falling in love with another.

But… if Yui truly ended up with Kotomi one day, then what would become of the relationship between Kotomi, Yui, and herself?

Tomoka didn’t know. Accepting the tray from Yui, she reminded her daughter to go to bed early and not stay up too late studying, then closed the bedroom door.

The moment the door clicked shut, Kotomi slid open the little workspace door and stepped out. She couldn’t help but whisper:

”Aunt Tomoka, that really was a close call just now…”

Then, remembering what she had just done in the wardrobe, she realized how inappropriate it had been. She bowed her head and apologized:

”I’m really sorry for messing up your wardrobe, Aunt Tomoka.”

Messing up my wardrobe? That’s putting it too lightly! Tomoka thought. But then she admitted to herself that she was also partly at fault. If she hadn’t asked Kotomi to fetch the bottled water in the first place, things wouldn’t have gotten so tense. Luckily, everything had ended without disaster.

”This really is my fault. If I had gone to get the water myself, you wouldn’t have had to leave the workspace at all. Even if Yui came in, we could’ve just shut the door and turned off the light, and there would’ve been nothing to worry about.”

”Hehe, Aunt Tomoka, let’s stop apologizing to each other. Let’s just call it even! Mmm~ it smells so good!”

Kotomi took a deep breath as Tomoka brought the tray into the workspace. The fragrance of the mapo tofu filled the room, instantly stirring her appetite.

And then—her stomach growled.

She hadn’t eaten dinner before coming here, planning to eat once she got home. But with the workload tonight, it was likely to be very late before she returned. Now, hunger gnawed at her stomach, making it rumble loudly.

Hungry.

”Why don’t you eat my portion first? It won’t be enough to fill you, but at least it’ll tide you over for now. Once Yui finishes cleaning up the kitchen and comes back upstairs, I’ll order some takeout.” Tomoka placed the tray on the tatami and slid it toward Kotomi as she spoke.

”It’s alright, Aunt Tomoka, you eat first. I’ll eat later. If I hold off, I can still suppress the hunger for a while. But if I eat now, not only will it not fill me up, it’ll just make me hungrier.”

Kotomi said this with a seriousness that made it sound less like a matter of dinner and more like some evil demon god was about to break free from its seal.

”Then I’ll go ahead and eat,” Tomoka Yuigahama nodded, starting her meal.

She ate slowly, not rushing, finishing her dinner at a steady pace.

During that time, Kotomi didn’t sit idle. If she stayed still, all her attention would have gone to the food, and with her stomach growling, that would have been torture. So instead, she focused on the computer, clicking the mouse bit by bit, occasionally tapping at the keyboard, helping Tomoka organize the illustration files for Sword Art Online, Redo of Healer, Mushoku Tensei, and The Testament of Sister New Devil.

She carefully sorted each work’s outline, manuscript, and character designs into folders labeled with the respective titles.

Kotomi had long noticed that Tomoka wasn’t good with computers. To her, the machine was just for browsing the internet and drawing illustrations.

Since she had nothing else to do, Kotomi helped organize the relevant files. Of course, she only touched those related to the novels. As for the rest, she left them alone—she didn’t know what those files were for, and moving them carelessly could cause trouble. Better to leave them untouched.

After finishing her meal, Tomoka carried the tray with the plates and utensils back to the kitchen herself when she went to wash her hands, so Yui wouldn’t have to come fetch them later.

That’s what family was like—if you do a little more, then someone else can do a little less. Mutual care, understanding, and support.

When she returned to the little workspace, Tomoka continued discussing illustrations with Kotomi.

After about an hour, all of the characters appearing in Volume 1 of Redo of Healer already had rough design sketches. Even the opening full-color illustration had been decided on.

Overall, their work efficiency was quite high.

Not long after, they heard Yui outside telling Yuka to turn off the TV, followed by the sound of the sisters coming back upstairs.

Tomoka glanced at Kotomi and asked:

”Shall we order takeout?”

”Yes!”

Kotomi’s stomach was growling so badly she could barely stand it.

At first, she had wanted to order herself, considering her large appetite. But Tomoka insisted on treating her. Unable to refuse Aunt Tomoka’s insistence, Kotomi finally nodded and agreed, using Tomoka’s phone to place the takeout order.

—

—

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven